Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Also called: Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Clinical Nursing Instructor · Faculty Member · Instructor · Lecturer
Median pay (national)
$79,940
$47,950–$130,040 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
74,250
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+16.8%
~8,600 openings/yr
Typical entry
Doctoral or professional degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for nursing instructors and teachers, postsecondary shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $130,040 versus $47,950 at the bottom 10% — 2.7x. The median of $79,940 leaves roughly 63% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +16.8% from 2024 to 2034 — much faster than the 3% average for all occupations. Even so, BLS projects about 8,600 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 52 states with released data, District of Columbia pays the most for this role (median $103,780, +30% vs the national median), while South Dakota sits lowest at $63,940 — a 62% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Speaking, Learning Strategies, Reading Comprehension as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Learning management system LMS, Microsoft Office software as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Speaking
- Learning Strategies
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Assess clinical education needs and patient and client teaching needs using a variety of methods.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.
- Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.
Tools & technology
- Learning management system LMS
- Microsoft Office software
- MEDITECH software
- Blackboard Learn
- Blackboard software
- Collaborative editing software
- Common Curriculum
- Course management system software
- Desire2Learn LMS software
- DOC Cop
- Image scanning software
- Interactive learning software
- iParadigms Turnitin
- Moodle
- Presentation graphics software
- Sakai CLE
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- English Language
- Biology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Mathematics
- Therapy and Counseling